Transcript Buddhism The Basics

Buddhism
The Basics
Different Sects of Buddhism
A. CLASSICAL
a. One of the Four major World Religions
B. ZEN
C. NICHIREN SHOSHU
Buddhism
• As of 2000, the worldwide estimate for
followers of the Buddha stood at more than
250,000,000
• Buddhism, one a religion of the East, has
become a popular faith in the West
• American Celebrity Converts to Buddhism
include:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Joan Baez
Tina Turner
Richard Gere
Larry Hagman
Harrison Ford
Why is Buddhism growing in
the West?
• “People are pursuing Eastern Religions in
the United States because their message
has been DRESSED UP to meet our
cultural needs – they are responding to it
because there is a deep awareness of a
need for spiritual reality” (Walter, Martin, Zen
Buddhism, Hare Krishna, and Meher Baba [Santa Ana,
Calif: One Way Libraries, 1976], cassette tape, side 1.)
Understanding Terms
• Buddhism – a religion, originated in
NEPAL/INDIA by Buddha (Gautama) and
later spreading to China, Burma, Japan,
Tibet, and parts of southeast Asia, holding
that life is full of suffering caused by desire
and that the way to end this suffering is
through enlightenment that enables one to
halt the endless sequence of births and
deaths to which one is otherwise subject.
• CASTE SYSTEM - a social structure in
which classes are determined by heredity
Understanding Terms
• ARYANS – a member or descendant of the
prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European.
– Indo-Iranians, Indo-European peoples who inhabited
parts of what are now Iran, Afghanistan, and India.
• HINDUISM - the common religion of India, based
upon the religion of the original Aryan settlers as
expounded and evolved in the Vedas, the
Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, etc., having an
extremely diversified character with many schools
of philosophy and theology, many popular cults,
and a large pantheon symbolizing the many
attributes of a single god. Buddhism and Jainism
are outside the Hindu tradition but are regarded as
related religions.
Classical Buddhism - History
I. 2,500 years ago, Hinduism reigned
supreme in India, the people were
subject to and enslaved by it
i.
J. Isamu Yamamoto explains the India
History:
“Over three thousand years ago the Aryans (powerful
group of Indo-European-speaking people)
conquered the Indus Valley, the Aryans instituted
Brahmanism (developed into Hinduism) and the
caste system in the Indian culture, which enabled
the invaders to maintain the purity of the Aryan
race and establish themselves as spiritual and
social masters over the native Indians” (J. Isamu
Yamamoto, “The Buddha,” Christian Research Journal
The Hindu Caste System
1. The Brahmins – The PRIESTLY Scholarly
2. The Kshatriyas – The WARRIORSOLDIER
3. The Vaishyas – the AGRICULTURAL
AND MERCHANT
4. The Sudras – The PEASANT AND
SERVANT
5. Harijan – The Outcast or
“UNTOUCHABLES”
“As the vast majority of the people were
illiterate and indescribably poor, the gap
widened between the few literates and the
host of illiterates, between the few princes
and rulers and their millions of subjects,
between the few privileged of high caste
and the great unprivileged population that
belonged to the lower castes and
outcastes. This gap grew wider and wider.
And from the hopelessness among the
many arose despair.”
Buddhism - Origin
• There seemed no escape from the
Oppression of an endless succession of
painful lives before one could be freed to
merge for eternity with the “World-Soul”
• This state is know as “NIRVANA.”
• The Definition of Nirvana is - FREEDOM
from the endless cycle of personal
reincarnations, with their consequent
suffering, as a result of the extinction of
individual passion, hatred, and delusion
Buddhism - Origin
• To obtain Nirvana, one must Take the
“EIGHT-FOLD PATH”
– The RIGHT: knowledge, intentions, speech,
conduct, livelihood, right effort, mindfulness, and
meditation.
• 490-410 B.C., a son of a minor Raja (KING)
was born, his philosophy of life would impact
the world for centuries
• Gautama Siddhartha Buddha, the founder of
the Buddhist Religion, was the son of
SUDDHODANA, the Chieftain reigning over
a district near the Himalayas in what is known
today as the country of Nepal.
Buddha CHALLENGE!!!!
• Divide into Two Teams
• Pick a Speaker/Team Leader
– Round 1: 1 POINT - Teams will answer 5
multiple-choice questions
– Round 2: 2 POINTS - Teams will answer 5
fast questions (first one to buzz in/raise hand
with get the opportunity to answer first)
– Round 3: 5 POINTS – Teams will answer one
loaded question… if you get it Right… you
WIN!
Who is the Key Person/Founder of
Buddhism?
A. Gautama Bengali Buddha
B. Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
C. Suddhodana Gautama Buddha
D. L. Ron Hubbard
What are the Key writings of
Buddhism?
A. The Mahavastu – “The Great Story”
B. The Jataka Tales – “550 Stories of the
former lives of the Buddha”
C. Triptaka – “Three Baskets”
D. Tantra – “Recorded in Tibetan Buddhism”
E. All of the Above
What does Buddha mean?
A. The Great One
B. The Fast one
C. The Fat one
D. The Enlightened one
E. The Peaceful one
Buddhism hold THE Deity (God)
as
A. Jesus Christ
B. Moses
C. There is no God
D. Themselves
Who is Jesus in Buddhism?
A. Historically, Jesus is not part of their
Religion
B. In the Asian Countries, Jesus is held as
an Avatar (the incarnation of a god).
C. In The West, Jesus is held as en
“Enlightened Teacher.”
D. All of the above
ROUND 2
• Be Ready
• Be Fast – on 10 Seconds to Answer each
question
• Be Smart
• Each Correct Answer receives 2 Points,
each steal receives 1 point
• No Correct answer, no points
Who is the Holy Spirit in
Buddhism?
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Jesus
Moses
Buddha
Rick Bonifield
Sun
No Holy Spirit
Veda
Mishna
Caliphate
A Statue
Which Path leads to Salvation in
Buddhism?
• The Only Path
• The Way, the Truth, the Life
• No one comes to the Father except
through Christ
• The Sunny Path
• The Eightfold Path
• The Snowy path
• The Great Path
• The Dark Path
How are Humans Saved in
Buddhism?
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Baptism
Immersion
Believing
Praying
Meditating
Nirvana
Church
Playing in a Rock band
What Happens After Death?
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Nothing
Heaven
Hell
Reincarnation
Reincarnation into another Person
Nothing and then Something
Spiritual suffering
Punishment
blessings
Where was Buddhism
Founded?
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China
Japan
India
Afghanistan
Nepal
Iran
Russia
England
No Where
Round 3: FINAL QUESTION!!!
I. Name the Eight Characteristics of the
Eightfold Path
I.
The RIGHT: knowledge, intentions, speech,
conduct, livelihood, right effort, mindfulness,
and meditation.